Maths Quiz

[footle2]

what is the smallest number that can be divided exactly by 6 and 12?

[roslyn251254]

12

[Polly1958]

12?

[footle2]

Thank you but my son doesn't understand it, can you explain.

[beejay1124]

footle -can you not explain it to him

[roslyn251254]

6 and 12 both go into 12 (They both go into 24 as well but 12 is the smallest number that they both go into)

[boxtops]

12/12 = 1
12/6 = 2
you can't divide a smaller number by anything else without ending up with something and a half, or another fraction.

[footle2]

Thank you - that makes it much clearer. Sadly I could not explain it to him in a way he could understand.

[mike11111]

Try telling him that as 12 is the bigger number that is the smallest number which could be the answer. If 6 does not divide exactly into 12 we must look for a bigger number. However 6 does go exactly into 12 so 12 is the correct answer.

However you could try explaining how to do it correctly by factorisation (reducing each number to a product of prime factors) in order to find the lowest common multiple (LCM):

6 = 2x3
12 = 2x2x3

Common to both is 2x3

Removing 2 x 3 from both lines we are left with x 2 so the LCM = 2 x 3 x 2 =12